Pink Houses
by Samantha Bridges
Summary: A string of murders in San Francisco puts the SIU on the trail of a serial killer who has come out of retirement. the ante is upped, hoever, when one of the SIU inspectors becomes a target.
1. Dirty Deeds

_A/N- I began this story some seven yeas ago. About a year and a half ago, I took it off figuring it'd never be finished and that it wasn't up the the standards I wanted it to be. Now, I got a hair up my butt to do the rewrites and edits, and, well, here we are. Lissie and family, Jerome, Jack, Skye, Karma, and the dogs belong to me; the rest of the SIU gang does not. Reviews and commentary are encouraged, as always. If you read the prior version, just think of this one as new and improved, and enjoy!_

Pink Houses

_Chapter One- Dirty Deeds_

_So much for a birthday surprise_, the woman standing on the end of the pier thought, looking into the sun-splashed water through a dark pair of sunglasses. The sunshine, blue skies, and ever-present gulls belied the gruesome scene occurring below her feet. A small dinghy banged against the pilings as the people inside it worked to get the floating body out of the water and into the boat. Watching their progress, she was suddenly glad to have skipped breakfast. Her attention was pulled away from the action as her name was called and she looked back to see a guy in a suit duck his way under the tape. She looked back across the bay and sighed. Of all the people she worked with, _he_ had to come to check on her progress.

San Francisco Police Inspector Lissie Shaw plastered a wide smile across her face and greeted the man striding towards her.

'Good morning, Captain Bridges.' she received no smile back, fake or sincere. He didn't like her calling him 'Captain Bridges' and she did it as often as possible. Admittedly, Lissie did it to egg him on. They'd been butting heads since she transferred into the SIU three months prior. Much to Lissie's disappointment she didn't even get a trace of a frown out of him this morning. _Maybe we're all having a bad day_, she thought.

'Ms. Shaw.' came Nash Bridges' returned greeting. For his efforts, he did receive a downturn of her lips. Two could play that game. She stood awaiting him with arms crossed over her chest. Why no one else wanted to come down and help her out with her early morning finding was beyond him. After three months Nash seriously wondered why he had requested her transfer from Vice to SIU in the first place. She _was_ a good cop, but she just drove him up the walls the rest of the time. He stopped next to her and peered down into the water. The men in the dinghy had managed to secure their cargo and flashed Nash a thumbs up.

'Number three.' he said to Lissie, who nodded her agreement, eyes following the boat as it made its way to a slip a little bit away.

'The papers were screaming 'serial killer' after the second body was found last month. I'm not sure. Those two, there wasn't much to tie them together. We'll have to see with him.' She nodded in the direction of the dinghy, turning to head back up the pier.

'Crime scene boys'll tell us more, as will the autopsy.' Nash offered, staying step with her as she began to move. 'Get the other files from Harv back at the SIU, go over them again. Maybe we missed something.'Lissie nodded. She'd been over everything including the fine print, and as far as she could see there was nothing that tied these two bodies together. Sometimes, a murder was just a murder, but even in a city as large as San Francisco, two, now three, in less than a month was a little suspicious. Right now, they had no leads, just dead bodies.  
.-.-.-.

Lissie shrugged off her jacket and draped it over her chair back at the SIU's floating station. She looked around for Inspector Harvey Leek, but didn't see him at his desk. Just as well, she decided, it'd be a good idea to get some caffeine before she started plowing through the files. Mug in hand, Lissie started towards the stairs, her face tightened as she looked up and saw Nash standing at the coffee machine. It crossed her mind again that she should just invest in a coffee maker to keep on the corner of her desk. It also crossed her mind that she should maybe try a little harder to get along with her boss. It had baffled her when she learned he'd requested her transfer here, when once she arrived he'd wanted nothing to do with her unless he had to. And really, it wasn't as if she was going to go the way of the two prior female inspectors the SIU had had. Nash shouldn't worry about that, she was seeing Jerome. Mostly. Kinda. It frustrated her that he was out of town so much, but, it wasn't all bad. She rubbed her elbow, finding herself at the top of the stairs, staring at Nash's back as he talked to Harvey, right in front of the coffee. Great, there went the idea of a quick escape.

She was staring out the windows when she felt someone turn into her, causing her to lose her balance and wobble back. Focus snapped back and she felt a hand gripping her arm, steadying her. Lissie winced and Nash glared lightly at her before saying 'Watch where you stand, Ms. Shaw.' and walking away. Lissie couldn't restrain herself from sticking her tongue out at his retreating back as he went to his desk. Harvey laughed at her and shook his head.

'I don't get it, Harv.' Lissie said, grabbing the coffee pot and filling her cup. 'I can't get him to like me.' She replaced the pot and took the sugar packets Harvey was holding out to her. 'Everyone else likes me.'

Harvey smiled. 'Yeah, we do, but you have to admit, you've been stand-offish towards Nash since you got here. It wouldn't kill you to offer the olive branch.'

'Sure, Harv. Maybe.' She stirred her coffee and threw the swizzle stick in the wastebasket at her feet. 'Fr now, I need those prior case files from you. I'm supposed to go over them and see if I can find something new that'll tie them together, or tie them to this morning's floater.'

'Sure. Want some help with that? Antwon's not in for awhile, had an appointment, so I'm free.' Lissie grinned at the offer.

'Thanks, Harv. Two heads are always better than one.'  
.-.-.-.

An hour later Lissie wasn't convinced that two heads were better. She held doubts that even three or four heads would help any. Lissie leaned back in her chair back at the conference table, rubbing her temples. 'There is nothing here to connect these two together, Harv. Nothing.'

she tipped the chair back to level and looked at Harvey, who was replacing a sheaf of papers into a folder. 'I'm inclined to agree, Lis.' He watched as she shuffled through the stack of photos she had on her side of the table.

'The only thing these two have in common, Harv, is that they're dead. If there is something here, I'm not seeing it.' She flicked the corner of a photo, sighing. She opened her mouth to say something else when her mobile started chirping. 'Inspector Shaw,' she said as she pressed it against her ear. 'Uh huh... Okay... Hold on.' She grabbed a pen and the legal pad she'd been making notes on. 'Go.' she scribbled as fast as she could, her handwriting illegible from Harvey's perspective. A few minutes later, she said her goodbyes and snapped the phone shut, shoving it back into its holster.

'Got something?' asked Harv as she shuffled through the pictures, pulling out the ones of the first victim. She handed them to him, pushing back from the table and grabbing her notepad.

'Yeah. One and three are connected, and its not good.'  
.-.-.-.

Nash looked up to see the two inspectors approaching his desk. 'What's up?' he asked as they came to a stop, Lissie motioned for Harvey to give her the photos, which she fairly slapped on Nash's desk.

'Just got a call from Buck, it looks like our latest is connected with our first.' she pointed at the photos, 'Methods of strangulation were the same, and both bodies showed signs of abuse.'

Nash looked where her finger was pointing. 'That was fast, CSI did a god job. Did they give us anything else?'

Lissie took a moment too long before she answered, her boss and her co-worker looking at her curiously as she tried to formulate her answer. 'Not exactly. Buck said some of the stuff looked familiar to him, but...'

'But what, Ms. Shaw?' Nash asked her, Lissie stared back at him.

"I think... No, I'm positive this person has killed before. I'm going to get the old case files, but, I'm pretty sure I know who it is.'

'Lissie...' Harv began, suddenly having realization hit him, and garnering himself an odd look from Nash. Lissie managed a small smile. 'Its okay, Harv.'

Nash felt very much out of the loop. 'Why are you so sure Ms. Shaw? And, if you know who it is, why don't you just give us a name?'

'I wish it were that simple, Captain.' She sighed heavily, looking up at the ceiling, then back at him. 'I know who he is, but we've never gotten a name to go with him; and I'm sure because he's the same man who killed my sister.'  
.-.-.-.


	2. Put Your Lights On

_Chapter Two- Put Your Lights On_

Getting the old case files was a task that was only simple when the idea was conceived. Surprisingly, for some unknown reason, one file was in the SIU's hands already; but that left the rest downtown. Rather than waiting on an intra-department courier to bring them by, which could result in their delivery being anywhere from this after noon to next week, Lissie headed down to collect them herself. She lugged the box out of the passenger seat of her Mustang and carried back inside to her desk. The surprise was evident on her face when she saw the bouquet of roses on her desk. There went keeping anyone here from knowing it was her birthday.

She dropped the box in her chair and gingerly removed the card stuck in the center of the display. Her mother and daughters. She couldn't decide whether is was a good or bad thing they weren't from Jerome. Inhaling their scent it was obvious her youngest, Meaghan, had had a hand in the choice, since the flowers were a light pink, and Meaghan was _very_ into pink at the moment. Lissie set about moving things around on her desk, trying to make room for her flowers. She had just placed the vase on the corner of her desk when she heard someone clear their throat; looking up, she found her boss before her. Oh, goodie.

Nash nodded at the flowers as Lissie hauled the box of files off her chair and onto her desk. 'Nice flowers, any special reason?'

She could lie, she thought, hands resting atop the file box, but what would be the point? 'Its my birthday.' she admitted sheepishly, wanting to die as she felt a blush creep into her cheeks. Dammit. Although she didn't realize it, it would only get worse in a moment. She watched as Nash read the card she had replaced in the bouquet, then practically stared as she received a genuine smile from him.

'Well, happy birthday, Ms. Shaw.' and with that he turned and headed for the doors, his partner, Joe Dominguez, in step with him; leaving Lissie a bit out of sorts at her desk as she forced herself to sit down. She stared at the flowers, then at the file box. Before she could repeat her embarrassing moment with any of her fellow SIUers, she hefted the file box and head back to the fantail where she could spread them out and work in peace.  
.-.-.-.

It was dusk by the time anyone bothered her, and she was glad for the interruption. Five hours of reading case files would do anyone's need for peace and quiet in. Ronnie informed her she had a call holding on line two, and then left her alone again. She grabbed the phone, taking off her reading glasses finally. A birthday and reading glasses, god, she felt old. 'Inspector Shaw.' she said into the phone, leaning back in her chair.

'Hey, girl, Happy Birthday.' came the smooth voice over the line. Lissie brightened instantly. Ah-ha! So he hadn't forgot, but he'd have some excuse. 'Sorry I didn't get you anything, but its just been meetings and airlines all day.'

Lissie smiled and rolled her eyes. 'That's okay, Jerome. The girls and mom sent me flowers.' She neglected to inform him that he too could have sent flowers, that they were only a phone call away. She was a little thankful he hadn't, that would've resulted in an even more interesting interaction with Captain Bridges.

'Doing anything special?' he asked.

'Take out and a bottle of champagne.' she responded. The girls weren't home, and she doubted her closest friends would do anything rash; Skye had symphony practice and Karma was off in Philly for the week. It'd be her and the dogs, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

'Exciting.'

'Where are you?' she suddenly had an urge to know. She highly doubted Jerome would show up unexpectedly, either.

A sigh, 'Atlanta. Had a meeting that finished up here just about an hour ago and I'm waiting on my connecting flight to Newark.'

'Oh.' Newark, that meant he was off to London again. Which meant he wouldn't be home for quite some time. Sometimes Lissie felt more like a layover mistress rather than a girlfriend. She half listened as he explained the same things he always did- he'd be home for maybe a week in just a few weeks, he missed her, but she had to understand this was the nature of his job, being a high-powered security consultant. 'I know, I know, and I do understand.' Lissie assured him. She knew, but she didn't always like it. She was about to say something when he cut in.

'They're paging my flight, Lissie. Gotta go. I'll call this weekend.' and just like that, he was gone.

'Bye.' she said dejectedly to the empty silence on the line. She plunked the receiver down and looked at the mess on the table before her. Time to go home, she decided. She'd pick up an extra container of chow mein for the dogs to fight over when she picked up dinner, she decided. It looked like they'd be the only ones celebrating with her. She set to work putting her files back in order, loading them back in their box, and schlepping them back to her desk. It looked like most of the inspectors around her were also calling it an early evening. Harv and Antown were already halfway to the door, and Cassidy, Nash's daughter, was shutting down her workstation. Lissie dropped the box on her desk and set about closing out the open windows on her computer. She grabbed her bag from a desk drawer as the computer went through its shut down procedures. After it assured her that it was indeed shut down with a final beep, she clicked off the desk lamp and grabbed her vase of flowers. A few moments later she herself was out the door. It was a pleasant night, and for the first time in a week held no promise of rain.

Lissie managed to get the keys out for her car, and the Mustang sat alone in a line of parking spaces. The lights flashed at her as she thumbed the unlock button on the key fob. She held the roses tight with one hand as she reached the car, stretching with the other to open the passenger door. It was god, in theory, but the vase shifted precariously, spilling water down her arm. She sighed and glared at nothing in particular, letting go of the door handle and preparing to place the vase atop the car. Someone behind her said 'Here.'

'You're suddenly being nice only because its my birthday.' she said as Nash opened the Mustang's door before she could put the flowers atop the car. He stepped out of the way as she bent to put them in the seat, fastening the seat belt around them.

'I'm generally a nice guy,' he told her as she straightened. She brushed a stray piece of hair behind her ear as she stood before him. 'You just seem intent on making that very difficult for me, Ms. Shaw.'

Lissie moved and slammed the door shut. 'You could try beginning by not calling me 'Ms. Shaw' all the time.'

Nash nodded, 'Okay, and you can start by not calling me 'Captain Bridges'. The name is Nash, Lissie.'

He smiled at her, and Lissie suddenly wondered if making amends with her boss was such a good idea after all. Up 'til now she could deal with him on a strictly professional basis, now... now she was going to have to be personable. It couldn't be all that bad, could it? It wasn't his fault she'd had bad experiences with supervisors in the past. 'Um, right, Nash. Got it.' she managed, the corners of her lips twisting up slightly. He didn't go away though, and she was surprised to find she hadn't moved yet either.

'Doing anything special for your birthday, tonight?'

'Take out and champagne, shared with the dogs. Well, not the champagne.'

'Could I offer you dinner, instead? We didn't have a chance to get you a cake since no one knew it was your birthday.'

_No, no, no, no... _'Sure.' came out of Lissie's mouth. Reading glasses, a birthday, and sudden onset senility. Great. 'I was going to get some Chinese, if that's okay?' _No, no, no, no_, her mind repeated at her again.

'Sounds good, I know this great little place, if you want to follow me?' she nodded and watched as he strode off to his car. Trying brilliantly not to blush or curse she went around to the drivers side and got in. Now what was she going to do?  
.-.-.-.

Dinner, Lissie had to admit while taking a bite of her chow mein, was actually pleasant. She'd relaxed a little and took her guard down, causing Nash to begin to realize she wasn't the hardass ice queen she'd acted like at work towards him. They sat out on a bench on one of the piers, looking out across the bay, watching the ferries and evening dinner cruises make their way across the darkening waters. She punctuated her commentary on her past work in Vice with her chopsticks. It surprised Lissie to see that Nash had relaxed as well, and provided colorful commentary of his own, and was a pretty decent guy. It was the 'decent guy' part that worried Lissie. Try as she might, she was fighting a losing battle against liking her boss. Just once, she told herself, she'd like to work with someone who was completely miserable who wouldn't garner her affections in any way. It would never happen. She was digging out some beef from her noodles when Nash brought up the topic she'd been dreading, bringing a sudden halt to the lightness of the evening.

'You said this guy killed your sister.'

Lissie poked around some more in her noodles, finally setting the take out box on the ground below the bench and sighing. 'Yeah, I was eighteen, and she was sixteen.' another sigh. 'It was a long time ago.' She looked out across the bay, remembering, fighting the tears that always accompanied the pain. She felt Nash's hand on her arm.

'I'm sorry.' he said. She nodded, and wiped at her eyes. 'I'm only asking since its...'

'Relative to the case.' she said, cutting him off. 'I understand.' Nash watched as she took a deep breath and steadied herself. 'She always walked home from school. I had practice after school, and she didn't want to wait to get a ride from me. One day, she never got home. Mom went nuts and dad, well, he pulled all the strings he could to get the department to look for her, but, it didn't help much. Missing persons wasn't what it is today, and by the time they got a break it was too late. He killed her, left her body in a warehouse in the Tenderloin.' She was visibly crying at this point, and she didn't resist when Nash gently pulled her towards him, holding her gently. She slowly pulled away after a few minutes, reaching into her purse for a Kleenex and wiping at her tear stained face. They sat in silence, neither sure of what to say now. Nash was the one who finally broke the silence.

'I should pull you off this case, due to personal involvement.' The hard Lissie he'd known until today returned and he could see anger bloom in her eyes. 'I didn't say I was going to,' he assuaged her, 'I said I should, but I'm not. Personally, I think the more we know about a suspect, the better, even if that knowledge comes from personal involvement.' That calmed her, and she smiled weakly.

'Thanks, I think.' A breeze began to come up off the water, causing her to shiver. She bent and began to gather her leftovers and the rose from the bench. 'I should get home, the dogs are probably wondering what happened to me.' It sounded like a lousy excuse, even in her ears. Lissie knew herself well enough that she was vulnerable right now, and that vulnerability never landed her in a good position. Not tonight, besides, she had that bottle of champagne at home.

Nash nodded, gathering his trash and rising. 'Nick, my father, is probably also wondering where I've gotten off to.' Actually, Nick was off with his old buddies raising hell in a bingo hall, but, what the hell. 'He lives with me.' he added lamely. Since when did he revert into teenage akwardness?

Lissie smiled and nodded, leading the way down the dock, pausing to deposit her trash in a convenient trash can. Nash followed slowly, watching her in the streetlamps that illuminated the pier. She wated by their cars, deciding that tonight had been enjoyable to deserve a good bye. 'Thanks for dinner, Nash.' she smiled.

He smiled, too. 'My pleasure. So I take it we've come to an agreement not to antagonize each other any more?'

'Only if you deserve it.' she grinned. She was about to turn away and say her god bye when Nash caughter her hand. She stiffened a little as Nash stepped over and brushed his lips against her cheek, and whisperng 'Happy Birthday' in her ear.

'Thank you.' she said, and stared, dumbfounded, as he got in his car and started it. Lissie willed herself to move, to get her keys out of her purse, to get in the car. She stared at her hands on the steering wheel, waiting and watching in her mirrors as Nash backed his beloved 'Cuda out of the space next to her. IN the darkness she touched her cheek and rolled her eyes heavenward. Vulnerability, hell, she was in even deeper trouble now.  
.-.-.-.

In a tired and dingy hotel room a man sat on the unmade bed, smoking a cigarette and watching the flickering television set a few feet away on the dresser. Sadly, for him, the news had no footage of the body coming out of the water, but the newscrew did get shots of the body bag coming up to street level and two plainclothes cops coming under the tape. He was recording all of this on a cheap VCR and when the news anchor smiled and cut to commercial he rewound the tape, then watched it all again. He paused it, leaning forward to get a good look at the woman. _Well, well, well,_ he thought to himself, it _was_ her, and he couldn't have asked for more by getting her on the case. The man, simply known to most as 'Jack' smiled and took a long drag on his cigarette. He stared at the glowing tip as the woman stood frozen on the TV screen. Time to up the ante, and have a little fun with her. Besides, it'd been too long since he'd gotten to play with her.  
.-.-.-.


	3. Mercy Street

_Chapter Three- Mercy Street_

'Where we goin'?' asked a small voice over the rumble of the engine as Lissie stopped for a light on the Embarcadero. Lissie smiled at her passenger in the rearview mirror, taking in a small red-headed girl in a car seat, trying to hold onto a sippy cup and her beloved Pooh bear at the same time.

'Mommy's work, then we're having lunch with Grandma and Harvey.' The four year old's eyes widened and she smiled even bigger.

'We're havin' lunch with Unca Harvey!' she crowed, her excitement spilling over into a fit of giggles as her mother floored the gas when the light turned green. While it didn't have the same acceleration as her Mustang, the old Fairlane was fun to drive. Her daughter practically yelled from the back seat 'Faster, mommy, faster!' through her laughter. Lissie kept it ten over the speed limit, braking lightly and downshifting to swing the old boat into the SIU's parking lot. It was her first day off in months, and quite welcome at that. Work had been quiet since they had found the floater two weeks ago, giving her time to build up a more concise image of their suspect, with input from the latest case file they'd compiled. She'd spent a lot of time on the phone with Buck, and under a lot of cautious scrutiny from Harvey. He worried about her, which was fine, as long as it didn't interfere with her job.

She cut the engine, sudden silence after a twenty minute ride with the accompanying dull roar of the car. Even with the new headers, she worried about a possible noise violation from this beast. She swung her door open, then flipped her seat forward, reaching back to loose Meaghan from her car seat. The sippy cup stayed, but Pooh was bundled along as Lissie scooped her onto her hip. Meaghan took everything in with wonder, never having been to the SIU before.

'Mommy works on a _boat_?' she asked wonderingly, staring. 'Pooh!' she told the yellow stuffed bear, 'Its a boat!'

Lissie grinned, shifting her daughter's weight. Soon she'd be too big to lug around like this. 'Yep, I work on a boat.'

'Too cool.' came her daughter's response, something she had picked up from her cousin the last time they'd visited. Lissie rolled her eyes, the things her family taught their children. She carried Meaghan up the gangway, and in through the doors of the SIU. She set the child down once they were inside, with the instructions of 'Go find Harvey.' as she did so. It was more than enough for the four year old, who yelled loudly 'Unca Harvey!' and ran towards the man who was approaching from his desk, smiling broadly. Her commotion had gotten the attention of the entire SIU, and Lissie blushed as more than a few people laughed and smiled at the welcome interruption. Pushing her sunglasses back on her head, she followed her daughter to where she was now in Harvey's arms, telling him how mommy had gone fast. Harvey laughed.

'Oh she did, did she? Guess we're going to have to tell the cops on her.' he informed Meaghan, who smiled into Pooh's head and shook her head.

'Nuh-uh, silly. Mommy's a cop. We don't tell on her.' she informed Harvey, who duly apologized and grinned at Lissie. Meaghan wiggled, wanting down. "Wanna show you what mommy does.' she said by way of explanation. Lissie could do little more than curse her brother-in-law for teaching Meaghan this little bit. Meaghan had herself a small audience, including Joe and Nash, who stood on the stairs watching. Meaghan set Pooh down in front of Harvey's feet then backed away a few steps. Lissie was doing her best not to cringe, knowing full well what would happen as soon as her daughter finished drawing in a deep breath.

'Fweeze! SFPD!' she yelled at Pooh Bear, who, as expected, remained frozen at Harvey's feet. Laughter rippled through the gathered audience, which only intensified as the serious looking little girl advanced on Pooh Bear. 'You under awwest.' she informed the stuffed bear. Harvey nudged Pooh just enough so that he toppled over on his side, and the SIU was in hysterics. Meaghan grinned broadly as her mother blushed with embarrassment. Yes, come Christmas, she would kill her brother-in-law for teaching Meaghan this little bit of acting.

Pooh bear was back in Meaghan's arms as she was congratulated on her performance by most of the bystanders. Lissie bent and scoped up her daughter before she could attempt an encore. She brushed the curly red hair back and kissed Meaghan's forehead. 'You're silly.' she told her daughter.

'You silly, Mommy.' Meaghan laughed back. Lissie looked at Harv helplessly, and shook her head. She caught Nash coming to a stop by her out of the corner of her eye. She turned to face him and Joe.

'You're going to make a good little cop, kiddo.' Joe told Meaghan, which earned him a bright grin. Lissie groaned.

'Don't encourage her, Joe. Her uncle taught her this when they came out for Christmas. Now she thinks its fun to do it in the middle of the mall.'

Nash laughed. 'She'll be as good as her mommy, I think.' he winked at Lissie, whose receding blush flared again. He reached into a pocket, talking to Meaghan, who was watching intently. 'I bet I've got something for a little girl like you.' Lissie prayed it was a lollipop. Her daughter didn't need encouragement from these two, too. Nash produced a small gold pin-on sheriff's badge, which produced a squeal of delight from Meaghan. Lissie sighed and swiveled so Meaghan could hold Pooh Bear out of the way while Nash pinned it to her tee shirt. 'Wow.' came the quiet response as Meaghan pulled on her shirt to look at it.

Lissie rolled her eyes, getting Harv and Joe to laugh at her. 'What do you say to Nash?' she prompted her daughter. 'Thank you, Nash!' chirped Meaghan, not looking up from her badge.

Nash ginned, very self satisfied. Lissie was heaving another sigh, and Nash knew this was close to the line of not antagonizing their truce had drawn. Who cared? Spoiling kids was fun. 'You're very welcome, munchkin.'

Meaghan looked up, 'Hey! Unca Sonny calls me munchkin!' she studied Nash intently for a moment. 'Are you comin' to lunch?'

Harvey cracked up. It seems Meaghan had claimed Nash as her new friend. Nash held up his hands and shook his head. 'Oh no, your mommy gets the day off while we go catch bad guys.'

'Fweeze!' piped Meaghan, Lissie groaned. 'All of you are no help whatsoever.' She pulled her left hand loose from under the child and looked at it. 'All right, we've got to get going. Say good bye to Nash and Joe, Meggie.'

Meggie waved, and then made Pooh wave too. 'Bye, Nash! Bye, Joe!.' Harvey reached out to take Meaghan from Lissie, giving her a break as Lissie led the way out of the SIU. 'Too cool.' she heard her daughter quietly behind her, no doubt showing Harvey her badge.  
.-.-.-.

Lissie was well on her way down the Embarcadero when Harvey finally broke the silence in the car. 'If I didn't know better, I'd say you kinda liked our boss.' Lissie looked quickly at him, catching the smirk on his face.

'You know, Harv, you're lucky I'm driving otherwise I'd have to hurt you.' She switched lanes, looking for the street she needed.

'I don't think so. I can tell these things, I know how you act when you like someone.'

Lissie moved into the turn lane and floored it through an opening in the traffic, earning a squeal of delight from the back seat. 'Harvey, just because we dated doesn't mean you know everything about me.'

Harvey smiled. 'Oh, but I do know a lot, Lissie. And judging from your apparent reconciliation with him and the girly looks, I'd say you like him.' Harvey finished as she pulled into a parking space and cut the engine, just in time for her daughter to pipe up from the back seat.

'Mommy likes who?'

Lissie glared at Harvey, who took the look unfazed. 'I think mommy likes Nash.' Lissie couldn't glare at her four year old daughter, who was nodding in her car seat.

'Oh yeah, I like Nash. Mommy, do you like Nash?' Meaghan asked, as Lissie swung the door open. Lissie didn't answer until she was leaning in to work the buckle on her daughter's car seat. 'Mommy likes Nash as a _friend_.' she replied, loud enough for Harv to hear. He chuckled as he stood on the curb. Lissie's head appeared over the roofline of the Fairlane, along with Meaghan's. 'Tag teaming me with my daughter is not nice.' she informed Harvey in a low voice. The Deadhead cop shrugged and smiled, watching the two of them cme around the back of the car. 'I just call em like I see 'em.' he took Meaghan from Lissie. 'Don't I, munchkin?' he asked Meaghan, who nodded enthusiastically. 'Oh yeah, Unca Harvey.' Lissie followed behind them, glaring holes in Harvey's back as her mother came out from the restaurant to greet them. 'Grandma!' shouted Meaghan, squirming to get form Harvey to Mary Shaw. Lissie watched her mother take her granddaughter and listened as Meaghan told her all about this morning at the SIU. Mary looked at her daughter, eyes twinkling.

'So Lissie likes someone, does she?' she shared a sly smile with Harvey while Lissie glowered.

'Not you too, Mother.'

Mary laughed. 'There's nothing wrong with liking someone, Lissie. Have a little fun in your life.' she told her daughter as she led them inside the restaurant.

'Thanks, mom.' there was nothing more she could do or say then to endure lunch with them, being outnumbered as she was.  
.-.-.-.

Mary was ordering coffee for the table when Lissie's beeper went off, followed a moment later by Harvey's and his cell phone. Lissie grabbed the offending device from her pocket and silenced it, looking at the display. Harvey looked apologetic as he rose from the table, heading towards the door as he pressed the phone to his ear. Mary sighed and shook her head. It'd been easier when her husband was on the force, none of these high tech devices to interrupt lunch and dinner, no way to reach people anywhere, anytime. Lissie stirred her iced tea idly, waiting for Harvey to return. It didn't strike her as very odd that she didn't get a call, too, it was her day off. Meaghan was back hard at work on the coloring sheet before her, making circles with a green crayon. Harvey finally returned, looking none too happy.

'Mrs. Shaw,' he spoke to Mary, who listened patiently, understandingly. 'I'm afraid Lissie and I need to get back to the SIU, something's come up.' Mary smiled and nodded.

'I understand the way the job works, Harvey. You two go, I'll spend the rest of the afternoon with my granddaughter.' Mary smiled at Meaghan who was now concentrating on making circles with a red crayon. Lissie blushed, and thanked her mother as she gathered up her purse, pausing to give her daughter a kiss goodbye, then heading to catch up to Harvey, who was already halfway tot eh door. She caught him on the sidewalk.

'What's up?' she asked, passing him to unlock the car door, listening for a response as she headed around to the driver's side.

Harvey sighed. 'They just found another body, an apartment in Chinatown.'

Lissie ducked into the driver's seat, barely giving Harvey time to close his door before she revved the engine. 'Okay, tell me where and we'll go.' She had her eye on the side mirror, watching the traffic, ready to pull out.

'Lissie,' there was something in his voice that made her look away from the mirror, something that usually meant trouble on her end. Uh oh... 'Nash wants you to meet him back at the SIU, drop me there and I'll take my car over.'

Lissie started to protest. 'But...' was as far as she got. God Dammit! She growled as she took a quick look out her window, no traffic, and floored the car hard enough to leave rubber. She drove like a pro back to the SIU, and sat stewing in the car as Harv got out and went his separate way. With no one in view, she banged hard on the steering wheel. Well, he wasn't hear yet, so there was nothing to do but wait. Purse slung over her shoulder, Lissie went into the SIU to do just that. Forty five minutes later Nash walked in looking none-too-happy. He pointed at her as he stalked past.

'You, topside. We need to talk.'

Lissie raked a hand through her hair, cursing herself. Well, it wasn't the first time she'd gone from the frying pan and into the fire, and she doubted it would be the last. She hauled herself out of her chair and obeyed her boss, not looking forward to what was coming.  
.-.-.-.


	4. Things Go Wrong

_Chapter Four- Things Go Wrong_

The bay looked inviting enough for a swim, Lissie thought wryly, staring out at the bridge. A swim would probably be preferable to what she had just gotten herself into. The wind came up, and she turned into it to keep it from blowing the loose red curls into her eyes, turning just in time to see her boss come to the top of the stairs. He'd kept her waiting an additional ten minutes up here, and from the look on his face, his disposition hadn't improved any. Lissie braced her hands on the steel railing, mentally preparing herself.

'Am I off the case?' she asked, deciding to get the worst done and over with first.

For a few long moments there was only the wind and the gulls. Nash removed something from an inner pocket of his jacket. 'In a moment, first, I need you to take a look at something.' He held a plastic evidence bag, and she could see the back of a Polaroid in it. She moved a step away from the railing and reached for it, slowly turning it over to see what the picture revealed. It took no more than an instant for the realization to hit her, leaving her reeling like she just took a punch to the gut.

'Oh god.' she let the baggie go, spinning away, looking for some escape, somewhere to go. Her stomach revolted and she found herself kneeling on the decking, losing the remnants of her lunch. Nash had bent quickly to grab the picture before it blew away. That was definitely not the reaction he had expected. He approached her carefully. 'Lissie?'

She reached an arm up for the railing, felt his hands under her arms helping her stand. She pushed the hair out of her face then wiped at her mouth. She caught a glimpse of the picture again. 'Where'd you get that, Nash?' she asked hoarsely.

'At the crime scene. It was laying on top of the body. Do you know who it is?' Lissie nodded. 'Is it your sister?' he asked gently, hoping for a negative answer.

'No.' Lissie took a deep breath. She lifted the baggie up and looked at it again, this time willing her stomach to be calm. It was a young woman, bound an gagged; her naked body was a road map of bruises and welts. 'Its me.'  
.-.-.-.

The next hour was one of the most excruciating of her life. After her pronouncement Nash had left her silently, only speaking up at the top of the stairs to order her to stay put. So she did, watching the ferries come and go, counting cars on the Bay Bridge, and seriously contemplating that swim again. Things were bad before, now they were going to get ugly. Nash finally topped the stairs, looking more pissed off than ever. Well, at least the waiting was over, she thought, and so was their truce, she suspected.

Nash wasted no time now that he was here. 'You lied to me, Ms. Shaw.' Lissie didn't react, just stayed silent. 'If there is one thing I will not tolerate on my team it is a liar.' he continued. He expected an apology of some sort, not the response he got.

'Technically, I didn't lie to you, Captain. I omitted parts of the truth, and as far as you knew, up until now, you had the truth.' a deep breath. 'You read the case file, I take it?' It was stupid of her, she knew, to have held back on that. It would've been simpler to have told him up front, but the thought of him feeling pity for her... No, she had chosen this path to avoid that. Now he was angry with her, which would result in what? At best, being taken off the case, flying a desk; at worst, being sent back to vice and possibly getting a reprimand. Fuck it, she did what she had to do.

Nodding, he watched her. 'And had a quick discussion with Harvey. He should have told me, moreso, _you_ should have told me, Ms. Shaw.'

'Yeah, I should have, but I chose not to.' she sounded like a rebellious teenager. 'You know now, you were going to find out eventually. I didn't want your pity, Captain.'

Nash sighed and rubbed his forehead. 'I wouldn't have pitied you, Lissie.' she looked at him, arms crossed over her body, leaning against the railing. Should she believe him? She'd been handed the line many times over the years, only to find those who uttered it treated her like she was a fragile piece of china, ready to break at any time.

'So, now what? You pull me from the case? I go back to Vice?'

'I'm not sending you back to Vice, you're... You're a good cop, and I need you in my unit.' well, that was a reprieve, she thought. As for the case... 'As for the case, there will be ground rules if you stay on it. You bend them too much, you'll be off; you break them, and you'll fly a desk for the next six months.'

'Fair enough.' And it was, really, why the hell was he being so lenient? She'd had supervisors who'd've demoted her on the spot for a grievance like this. 'What are the rules?'  
.-.-.-.

It was another half hour before Nash returned to his desk, a sour feeling in his stomach. Waving Joe over he explained everything to him in low tones. If they didn't play this carefully, things could go south in a hurry now that their killer had an eye on one of their own. It surprised Joe that Lissie was still on the case, but Nash had a point that she was one of the best information sources they had on this guy. She wasn't allowed out of he SIU without another inspector with her, and Nash had already sent two units down to set up surveillance on her house. He looked at the picture on his desk, disgusted and wondering how someone could do this to another human being. Standing to stretch, he walked over to get some coffee. He looked over the rail, seeing Lissie sitting dejectedly at her desk. What was it she'd said up top? She didn't want his pity. No, she wouldn't get pity from him, he decided, she'd fought and survived, somehow, and for that she deserved his admiration.  
.-.-.-.

Lissie dialed a number into the phone, waiting through the rings until the line was picked up. 'Hello?' came her mother's voice.

'Hey mom, its me. Um, I was wondering if you could take Meaghan back down to Monterey with you?'

Her mother's concern was instantly evident. 'Why? Lissie, what's going on? Does this have something to do with the interruption at lunch? Are you in danger?' Lissie wondered how her father had survived a marriage to her mother, considering Mary Shaw worried enough for the whole world and then some.

'I just need you to, work stuff, I've got some long hours coming up. Yes, it has to do with the call at lunch, but no, I'm not in any danger.' she lied, which she hated dong to her mother, but sending Mother Mary into a full-blown panic wouldn't help anyone.

Her mother sighed. 'You wouldn't lie to me?'

'No, mom.'

'Okay. Come down this weekend, Kim will be back from her symphony trip to San Diego on Saturday and we're going to have a family meeting.' Mary's tone brooked no room for argument, and Lissie acquiesed. She made her goodbyes and replaced the phone in its cradle. She spent the next few hours shuffling papers and trying to look like she was doing something. She lost track of time, and was surprised to see that it was twilight when Nash appeared in front of her desk.

'Can I help you?' she mumbled, looking up at him from her computer monitor, where she'd recently begun a game of Minesweeper after tiring of doing useless spreadsheets.

'Unless you're planning to spend the night here, which I don't recommend, I suggest you get your stuff and follow me.' He waited patiently as she went through her shut down tasks, putting her papers in a neat stack and finally retrieving her purse from its drawer. She stood, pushed her chair in, and came around the desk to him.

Wordlessly, he led her outside, and Lissie felt not unlike a prisoner of sorts. She broke off from him once they were down the gangway, heading for her Fairlane. She was stopped by a hand around her wrist, she looked over her shoulder at Nash. 'What? I'm not allowed to drive now?' The afternoon had been too long for her and her temper was short.

Nash pointed to his car. 'No. I'm taking you to your house, you're getting some stuff, and you're coming to my place until we get the surveillance nailed down.' Lissie looked positively peeved.

'That was not part of the deal.' she snapped, pulling her hand from Nash's grip, digging in her purse for her keys. "I am going to go home to my own damned house and sleep in my own damned bed and blow off the head of anyone who damned comes in there.' Obviously her outburst had cowed Nash, or so she thought, as she jammed the key into the door lock and swung it open. She pulled it shut with a loud slam and proceeded to attacked the ignition with a passion. She turned the key, heard the starter turn, and a heart wrenching '_whirwhirwhir_' as nothing happened. Undaunted, she tried again, only to get the same result. Nash leaned in the passenger side window, a large handful of wires dangling from his hand.

'Having trouble?' he asked sweetly, letting the bundle drop onto the seat. Lissie stared open mouthed at him, then at the wires, then launched herself out her door.

'You god damned fucking bastard.' she snarled, coming quickly around to the passenger side of the car. 'Lissie...' he started, hands up to pacify her. Maybe he'd misjudged a little on how she'd take this. Maybe he should just put the distributer wires back on her car and follow her home, maybe...

He wasn't expecting the right hand punch she landed on his temple. Now it was his turn to curse as he reeled from the blow, 'Goddammit, Lissie!' She was breathing hard, holding her right hand which now hurt like a bitch. 'Goddammit.' he repeated, tenderly feeling his head where a bruise was already starting to form. 'You hit hard.'

She looked up from her hand. 'You deserved it, fucking with my car.' She looked around, finding a small groupof four patrolmen standing by the gangway, talking and pointing. The 'Aw, crap.' got Nash's attention, and he looked up to see what caused it. Lissie was pushing him out of the way, leaning in the passenger side window to retrieve her purse. Nash grabbed her wrist and led her to his car, opening the passenger door and slamming it shut as she fumbled for the seat belt. Seconds later, he was buckled in and slamming the car into reverse.

'We are never going to hear the end of this.' she informed him as he peeled out of the parking lot.

'Amen to that, sister.' he agreed, none to happy about it. Joe was going to _love_ this.  
.-.-.-.

Lissie had been left just inside Nash's apartment with his father, Nick, as h went to find ice packs for them. Having noticed the nasty bruise on his son's temple and Lissie's carefully cradled hand, he easily guessed at what had happened. Lissie gave him the brief rundown before Nash returned. Nash knew from the smirks on both their faces that it had been a mistake to leave them alone together.

'So, son, you got beat up by a girl.' Nick remarked casually, winking at Lissie, who was gratefully accepting an ice pack from Nash. Nash glared at his father.

'No, Nick, she landed a lucky punch.'

Nick laughed. 'From what I heard, you deserved it.' Lissie laughed, and smiled, nodding her agreement. 'Oh, he did.' she added. Nash shook his head, which was a mistake because it only increased the pain. He realized Nick had his jacket on.

'Going somewhere?'

'Poker night.' Nick grinned. 'Don't wait up for me.' he informed Nash, who waved a hand at him as he went off to find some Tylenol. 'And don't be afraid to knock him about some more if he needs it.' he told Lissie, pulling open the gate to the elevator. Lissie assured him that she wouldn't, said goodbye to him, and gathered her hastily packed overnight bag. She gingerly came down he steps into the apartment proper, left her bag on the couch, and went to sit on a barstool in the kitchen, staring out at the lights of the financial district. Nash found her there a few minutes later. He pulled a bottle of water for the fridge and leaned forward ont eh counter across fomr her.

'I owe you an apology.' she nodded. "I shouldn't have taken apart your car, but I had a feeling you weren;t going to come without a fight.'

Lissie nodded. 'Apology accepted. Next time, try asking nicely first, it'll save you some pain.' Nash chuckled and took a drink of his water. Lissie caught his gaze and smiled. "Got anything to eat around here?'  
.-.-.-.


	5. People Ain't No Good

_People Ain't No Good_

It'd been interesting, standing in the crowd of the morbid gawkers, watching the body come out of the apartment building. No one saw the body, of course, only the black rubberized bag it was contained within, which was itself strapped down to a stretcher. The police watched the crowd watching them, on both sides of the tape wondering if the killer was anywhere nearby. Oh, if they only knew. Slowly, after the Coroner's van pulled away, the crowd began to disperse. He fell in with the slowly meandering people, each going back to his or her normal routines. He walked down a side street aways, walking along, enjoying the day, nothing more than another man in a large city.

The evening and late news shows devoted a large chunk of their airtime to speculation. It was inevitable that someone would propose the return of the Zodiac killer, but amazingly the theorist who came up with that one didn't appear until the morning shows. The Chronicle would take the prize for sensationalism when they would run the headline 'SERIAL KILLER TARGETING SAN FRANCISCO?', causing a great leap in their daily sales. The city was mildly frightened. Four murders in six weeks was written off easily enough, they could reassure themselves it was just a fluke. The police were assuring them there was nothing more to fear than they would on an average day. Crime continued as it normally did, unaffected by the media's hollering. He loved it, though, and he was pleased as he drifted off to sleep that night in his motel room.

.-.-.-.

The sun woke Lissie, who greeted it by pressing her face into the pillow. As she drew in a deep breath it struck her that while the pillow was familiar, it was a pillow like her won, it was decidedly different. She rolled over, squinting against th soft light that came though the covered window. It wasn't her room, and she remembered arguing that she'd be fine sleeping on the couch. What some men thought was chivalry. Her overnight bag sat by the foot of the bed, she found as she sat up and leaned, stretching her back. Shucking her pajamas, she dug for a clean pair of jeans and a button down shirt. He found her toiletry bag and proceeded to the bathroom, emerging a few minutes later ready to face the world. Everything was shoved back in the bag and she padded to the sliding t\door that would lead her out.

Nash had been up for several hours already, not having slept well on the couch. Not due to the couch, but due to not being able to clear his mind of what he had learned enough to sleep. He looked up at his bedroom door at the first sounds of rustling in there. A few minutes passed, in which he started the ocffeemaker and tidied up the couch. IN sweat pants and an old tee shirt he was sure he looked a little less than presentable, especially when Lissie appeared, dressed and almost ready to face the day. She smiled as she come down into the living room, duffel bag slung over her shoulder.

'Sorry,' she said, dropping the bag into a nearby chair, 'I tried to hurry. Its a little hard to get going in the morning.'

Nash returned the smiel. 'No problem. If you don't mind, I'll go clean up.' As he walked past her he pointed back at the kitchen. 'There's fresh coffee and Nick probably has some kind of breakfast stuff in the fridge. Help yourself.' Lissie nodded, remaining in place until her boss was in his room. God, this was weird. She opened the cupboards, trying to find coffee mugs, which were found on the fourth try. She pulled an SFPD emblazoned mug and filled it with hot coffee, forgoing her normal sugar and tempering cream for the full effect of the coffee's effects. She looked out the panoramic windows as the financial district geared up for the day. There was a bit of fog still, but it would probably burn off by mid-morning. She settled onto a barstool, sipping her coffee, and considering her situation.

Nash appeared about fifteen minutes later. She was on her second cup of coffee, and had found some yogurt in the fridge. Lissie had just removed the lid and was licking some of the yogurt off of it, an action that seemed to have temporarily distracted her boss. Realizing it, she crumplend the lid and sucked down a large gulp of hot coffee, causing herself to choke a little. Dumb. Nash smirked and handed her napkin.

'Feeling better after a good night's sleep, Ms. Shaw?' asked Nash, leaning on the counter opposite her. Lisie nodded, and pointed her spoon at him.

'Ah, you promised not to call me that anymore, Captain.'

'Touche.' grinned Nash, 'But Lissie seems so casual for morning conversation.'

She laughed. 'Says you. If I remember correctly, I slept in your bed last night, so I think that puts us way past formalities.'

'Yeah, and if I remember correctly, I slept on the couch.' They both laughed, and Lissie swallowed her yogurt.

'Hey, that was your choice.' and a split second after those words escaped her she blushed red, and shoved another spoonful of yogurt in her mouth. Nash raised an eyebrow, interested by her slip. 'Ignore me,' she told him, seeing the amusement and something else in his features, 'I say stupid things in the morning.' He began to say something, and she cut him off. 'And besides, its not worth ruining my already damaged career.'

'Lissie, I wasn't suggesting...' but, Nash knew a part of him was- had been suggesting exactly that. They'd made amends, and she was anything but bad looking. Her face had gone a bit stony, she was well aware of when she was vulnerable.

'You were. Maybe. Besides,' she tried to make it sound casual, 'I have a boyfriend.'

'Ah.' followed with a sip of coffee and a long silence ground the conversation to a halt. Immediately Lissie fely guilty, and wanted to remedy the situation. The chance was lost when her cell phon rang, causing her to grab it, and slid from the barstool, seeking a sliver of privacy. Nash drank his coffee, trying not to think. She returned a few moments later, laying the cell on the counter, sighing.

'Kimmie. Mom called her last night, it seems. Evil woman, using my kids to get at me. You know how much it sucks to have to reassure your teenage daughter that, yes, you are okay and everything is fine?' She stabbed her yogurt, frustrated.

Nash smiled again. 'Tell me about it. Only Cassidy's mom, Lisa, used her on me.' he turned sober a moment later, just as Lissie had glanced up with a tiny smile. 'But, face it, Lissie, everything's _not_ okay.'

'Tell me about it, Nash.' she replied, her mood soured again. She swiped the last bit of yogurt and crushed the plastic cup. As quickly as she could, she dispoed of it and put her mug in the sink. Suddenly, she wanted out of here. 'Let's go.' she told her boss, who finished his coffe, wondering what the day would bring.

.-.-.-.

The fog did burn off by midday, but promised to be back shortly as a front moved in, bringing low grey clouds to hang over the city. The rains threatened to return, and the city's occupants took advantage of the fleeting sunshine. A man sat on a bench on the pier, feeding bits of a pretzel to the seagulls. He kept his head down enough from the people strolling by- couples, singles, tourists in knots of three and four. A few children, his eyes following them form behind the dark shades. It was always the children and women who interested him the most. Teenage girls were his favorite, but they always attracted too much attention, so his tactics had changed. The two men, though, had been a fluke. Playing games, trying something new. I t never hurt to keep the people guessing.

The pretzel finished, he brushed the last of the salt from his hands and crumpled the wrapper as he rose. Head up, he walked down the pier, smiling at a group of young girls coming down the pier towards him. He earned some giggles, and two of the four looked back at him as he passed. Handsome was always a card he could play, and it had served him well from time to time. If it were any other day, he'd likely have his pick of them, but, his mind was elsewhere.

His car was parked on the street, convertible top open to the sky. He slid into the driver's seat and considered his luck. Somehow the cops had found where he was hiding all those years ago. He thought he'd finished the job on her, but, something went wrong for him. Now, she was all grown up and trying to pick up his trail from the pieces he'd left behind. It had occurred to him the other night, when he'd killed the cute little waitress, that he could wait for her to find him. Remembering the picture in his pocket, and leaving it behind, had made him decide it would be more interesting to toy with her. Work was always better when you were having fun.

He took a corner sharply, trying to avoid getting caught by the red-light camera at the intersection. A ticket would be the last thing he needed. There was a barely audible thump from the trunk. Maybe, Jack thought, he should have secured his cargo better. It didn't bother him, it wouldn't hurt the cargo, and it wouldn't be in the trunk much longer.

Yeah, Jack thought, he'd have some fun with Lissie Shaw, and then he'd finish what he'd started almost two decades before.

.-.-.-.

Lissie was relegated to file work again, the morning spent dredging the last bit of useful information from the past files related to the current murder investigations. There'd been many phone calls to Buck, who lightly complained at one point that she should just move down to the Hall of Justice so she could bug him in person. She knew Buck well enough to know when he was joking, trying to lighten a dark situation, and had offered in return to have him moved to the SIU. Buck had declined, citing seasickness. Lissie really would have preferred to talk to him in person, but going down there involved grabbing one of her fellow inspectors, all of whom were busy with their own jobs, or getting a uniform to drive her down there. It was too much trouble, so she was relying on her phone and reading glasses, half of a steno pad filled with scribbled notes.

Harvey relieved her doldrums briefly at lunchtime, insisting she come with him and Twon down to the Ferry Building for lunch. She relished her escape, but it was too short lived, and she soon found herself back in the SIU. Back at her table, files spread everywhere, her mood went south when she pulled her sister's file from the box, and opened it before she meant to. She'd snapped at Joe when he came back, then apologized, hoping she didn't look as if she'd been crying.

'Just the messenger, Lissie. You've got a visitor.' he winked at her, and was pleased when her expression brightened. Removing her glasses she went forward in Joe's wake. He broke off and went upstairs, joining Nash where he leaned against the railing, sipping water from a coffee cup. They were both focused on a lanky looking man who sat in the lone chair in front of Lissie's desk. 'The boyfriend.' Joe pronounced, watching Lissie's greeting of the man, Nash nodded.

'Yep.' he sipped more water, watching the reunion. He didn't look away, watching the man brush lissie's hair, smiling at her. 'I suppose we should introduce ourselves.' Nash turned away, leaving the mug on his desk and leading Joe down the stairs. 'Ms. Shaw,' he called out from the foot of the stairs, causing his inspector to look away from her visitor. She blushed, gripping the man's hand. He had also turned as Nash and Joe approached, smiling in a way most people would consider charming.

Lissie blinked, and recovered her smile quickly, realizing she wasn't in trouble. 'Captain, I'd like to introduce you to Jerome Marcus, my boyfriend.' the last word was a little too carefully pronounced, and made Joe wonder what else had happened this morning. Nash smiled, and reached out to shake the man's hand. 'Nash Bridges.' he told him, the man nodded.

'Your reputation precedes you, Captain.' his voice was mellow.

'And my partner, Joe Dominguez.' Nash release Jerome's hand and stepped back slightly, allowing Joe to step up.

'A pleasure.' intoned Jerome, smiling as Joe sized him up. 'I always like to know who my Lissie is working with.' Lissie blushed again, ducking her head, a little more than embarrassed by his possessiveness. 'I thought I might slip her away early for a little dinner, if that's okay with you?' he met Nash's eyes levelly, daring him to refuse more than seeking permission. Lissie interrupted, a little flash in her eyes.

'Um, honey, I actually can't. I'm in the middle of running a case file and can't leave it unfinished. I promise, though, I'll get out of here as soon as I'm done.' This answer seemed to displease Jerome, his features darkening. Something small in his attitude change rubbed Nash the wrong way, but he kept his face neutral. Lissie sensed something too, and gently turned him away, trying to smooth ruffled feathers. 'I promise. No more than a couple hours, then I'm all yours.' She smiled, and the darkness was gone, and Jerome smiled back.

'A couple hours. I'll meet you at the house.' He bent and kissed her, then straightened and smiled at Nash and Joe, who were still standing and watching. 'Captain, Lieutenant.' he nodded at them, Nash nodded back. 'See ya, bubba.' as Joe gave a little wave. Jerome brushed Lissie's cheek and walked out, feeling very confident that Lissie would show up on her won doorstep in two hours on the nose. Lissie didn't move until he was out the door, then turned on Nash and Joe.

'Thanks.' was all she said and then she went back to her files, hoping that the next two hours would go quickly. Nash wanted the complete opposite.

'Joe...' he said as soon as Lissie was out of hearing. 'Something's a little wonky about Mr. Marcus.' Joe was already nodding.

'I'll look into it.' he replied, sharing the same feeling as Nash. Something just too... perfect about the guy. Joe headed to his desk while Nash went back upstairs, where he spent the next two hours going over a case file, an exact copy of the one that was giving Lissie so much grief downstairs. He needed to know more, before they started losing pieces instead of finding them.

.-.-.-.


End file.
